USDA Settles South Dakota Wetlands Suit
January 21, 2000
USDA has agreed to conduct on-site wetland determinations when requested to ensure accurate wetlands determinations. The decision settles a lawsuit filed in South Dakota challenging the way wetland provisions were being implemented.
The suit was filed last year in South Dakota challenging the way provisions in the Food Security Act of 1985 were being implemented in the state by USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service. The government explored settlement options to resolve the litigation and reached agreement with the plaintiffs in the case, USDA said.
Under Secretary James Lyons said, "The key issue all along has been to protect wetlands in compliance with the law while also ensuring that farmers are treated fairly and can rely on the accuracy of the technical information we provide them."
A summary of the settlement agreement will be posted on the South Dakota NRCS website at